In search of the Real Milkshake

Milkshakes are funny things. I mean it! I thought I knew what a milkshake was, until I found out that milkshakes apparently contain ice cream. And then when I actually looked into milkshakes, I found out that even that was wrong. You'll know what I mean if you take a look at the history of milkshakes:

(from The Food Timeline):
1982: "Milk shake also appeared in the late 1880s, but the term then usually meant a sturdy, healthful egg nog type of drink, with eggs, whiskey, etc., served as a tonic as well as a treat."
1999: "When the term first appeared in print in 1885, milk shakes may have contained whiskey of some kind, but by the turn of the century they were considered wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups."
2002: "Milkshake can be made of any flavor, but vanilla and chocolate are the most desirable flavors. This catalog included a milkshake recipe, which instructed the dispenser to fill a tumbler half-full of shaved ice, add 1.5 ounces of syrup, finish filling the glass with milk, and shake well. For a little extra punch, the recipe said to add port wine."

and from Wikipedia:
2014: "A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is usually made from milk, ice cream, or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or fruit syrup."

When did an eggnog turn into a malted drink into a drink with ice cream? Also, how come the wide range of what is considered milkshake? Apparently anything that is cold and contains a dairy product can be considered a milkshake. Talk about confusing!

Then I was suddenly stuck with the question, do I want to make an eggnog, a malted drink, a frappe without coffee, a milky kind of smoothie, something shaked or an ice cream-enhanced milk? The latter, because "To most Americans, a milk shake, that thick, sweet accompaniment to a hamburger and fries, naturally includes ice cream" (The American Heritage Dictionary). Especially since I had just made a really good coffee ice cream.

Ice cream Milkshake

1 part milk
2 parts ice cream
anything else (optional)*

1. Put all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend (or shake) until smooth.
3. Serve cold.

* Helpful, isn't it? Think of the whipped cream and chocolate sauce that I used on my milkshake as decoration. You could add literally anything on top as decoration, but you can also add ingredients into the milkshake: vanilla, chocolate chips, nuts, syrups, flavourings, fruits, yoghurt, cake or some of that port or malt which they used to add. You may have to add more ice cream or milk to adjust the thickness of your milkshake.

The 3 steps are a joke really. I've made more complicated recipes in 3 steps. I just wanted this one to seem like a recipe. I mean, all in all it's not very complicated to make a milkshake is it? There is something I have to note though: step 2 is very important! As the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary states: it has to be "mixed or shaken until it is full of bubbles". Full of bubbles you hear me!?! I really like how this is an 'advanced' sorts of dictionary.

If you're really eager to make the same milkshake I did, here's the recipe for Coffee Ice cream Milkshake: mix 1,5 cup sweetened condensed milk with 1,5 cup coffee and 0,5 cup half and half cream , put it in the fridge until cool and turn it into ice cream in an ice cream-maker (by Scoop Adventures). Use the ice cream with the milk to make a milkshake and top with cream and chocolate sauce. So good!!

Anyway, I hope you learned something about milkshakes, or you're inspired to drink something 'wholesome' and cool with bubbles this summer! And, if you're American, I hope you have a lovely 4th of July/Independence Day! (What better way to celebrate than with a 100% American drink?) And if you're not American, I hope you have a lovely random not-so-special-but-maybe-special-anyway kind of day!